Food, in the end, in our own tradition, is something holy. It's not about nutrients and calories. It's about sharing. It's about honesty. It's about identity. ~Louise Fresco

Crab Cakes with Creamy Pepper Sauce

Crabcakes, Roasted Vegetables, and Tomato Salad

These crab cakes are always time-consuming to make but well worth it. I can’t be in a rush. There are so many ingredients and so many vegetables to prep first. With all that prepping, I don’t have time to roast the red peppers, though I’m sure it’s worth it. It’s so much easier to buy the roasted peppers in a jar.

Cook the onion and celery. Heat the oil in medium non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until transparent, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Cool slightly.

Combine the seasonings with the crab meat. In a small bowl, add the egg (white), nuts, parsley, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Old Bay, Worcestershire (or soy) sauce, mustard powder, celery seeds, and paprika. Blend with a fork. Stir in the crab meat and hot sauce. Mix thoroughly with the cooled onion mixture. Put about 2 tablespoons of the crab meat mixture in your hands and squeeze it together into a ball. Form into 8 patties.

Roll the patties in whole wheat flour or breadcrumbs. Place the whole wheat flour or breadcrumbs, if using, in a shallow bowl. Gently roll the patties in the flour or breadcrumbs. They might fall apart so just pat them back together.

Lightly fry the patties. Over a medium flame, heat a large non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray. Working in batches, if necessary, add the crab cakes and cook for 2 minutes. Cover and cook for another minute longer or until browned on the bottom. Coat the tops with cooking spray and turn over. Cook for 2 minutes longer, uncovered, or until golden brown.

Serve with creamy pepper sauce as a condiment. For sides, I recommend a fresh garden salad and roasted vegetables.